Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Mind4Stormwater (Innovative stormwater asset management in future cities)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2020-09-01 al 2021-08-31
Mind4Stormwater helps cities achieve sustainable management of their “stormwater control measures” (SCMs). Stormwater control measures refer to nature-based solutions dedicated to managing stormwater, with the aim of mitigating the negative impacts of traditional stormwater pipe networks. Such nature-based solutions dedicated to stormwater management are often applied at or near to the source of runoff: swales, infiltration trenches, or green roofs. SCMs remain a poorly understood but relatively important asset in cities: after several decades of operation, there is, however, a growing concern regarding their medium and long-term performance and maintenance. Operational and research questions have so far largely focused on optimising hydrologic, hydraulic and water quality performance. However, there is a growing concern regarding sustainable long-term management of these systems, and their impacts on performance and cost. Such concern will likely limit future application and development of SCMs. On the other hand, SCM operation and maintenance could create new business opportunities related to sensors, monitoring and asset management. The Mind4Stormwater project has successfully brought international awareness regarding Nature-based stormwater solutions asset management importance. Suitable monitoring is required at the right place and right time, to intervene before malfunctions occur. The project has successfully demonstrated that low-cost monitoring is the key element of the expert system allowing real-time monitoring and management of stormwater control measures. A new path has been opened for the long-term performance of Nature-based stormwater solutions.
The expert system has been developed based on development and application to Melbourne Water wetlands, when the fellow was fully integrated within the Waterway Ecosystem Research Group (WERG) of the University of Melbourne, Australia. This case study has enabled the integration of the Mind4Stormwater project within the ‘Melbourne Waterway Research-Practice Partnership’ (https://mwrpp.org) providing the fellow with direct involvement from Melbourne Water and access to additional resources, i.e. scientific and technical assistance. A worldwide review of the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) practices regarding SCM has been establish and published online, in the form of an up-to-date list of existing guidelines. The review of scientific literature and operational guidelines, along with exchanges with stakeholders, have proven that the water level is the best solution to inform on the overall operation of the system. The work has led to the successful deployment of a monitoring system in several wetlands providing real-time data on the water level, with a cost under 150 €/unit. A dedicated platform has also been developed to provide real-time and open access to the data for the monitoring in Melbourne. A second platform has been developed for the French context. The platforms gather the information from all monitoring systems and the users can visualise or download all or part of the data.
The Mind4Stormwater project has produced a brochure, a general website, two data visualisation platforms, one each for the monitoring sites in Melbourne and in France, a GitHub page and a YouTube channel. Several presentations and documents have also been disseminated to communicate on the project, its activities and to provide teaching materials dedicated to low-cost monitoring system development. Regarding the scientific dissemination, the fellow has participated to three international conferences: NOVATECH 2019 (Lyon, France), LESAM 2019 (Vancouver, Canada), and ICUD 2021 (online), for a total of six publications in international conferences. In addition, the fellow has also participated to three published international papers (H2Open, Urban Water and Water Resources Research journals). The NOVATECH 2019 conference paper has won the Best Poster Award and the Water Resources Research paper has been selected for the Editors’ Highlights. The fellow co-authored the chapter “Operation and maintenance” of the international book “Metrology in Urban Drainage and Stormwater Management: Plug and Pray”. Finally, an interview of the researcher was recently on the cover of The Source, the magazine of the International Water Association, regarding his work on monitoring natured-based stormwater solutions for asset management.
The Mind4Stormwater project has produced a brochure, a general website, two data visualisation platforms, one each for the monitoring sites in Melbourne and in France, a GitHub page and a YouTube channel. Several presentations and documents have also been disseminated to communicate on the project, its activities and to provide teaching materials dedicated to low-cost monitoring system development. Regarding the scientific dissemination, the fellow has participated to three international conferences: NOVATECH 2019 (Lyon, France), LESAM 2019 (Vancouver, Canada), and ICUD 2021 (online), for a total of six publications in international conferences. In addition, the fellow has also participated to three published international papers (H2Open, Urban Water and Water Resources Research journals). The NOVATECH 2019 conference paper has won the Best Poster Award and the Water Resources Research paper has been selected for the Editors’ Highlights. The fellow co-authored the chapter “Operation and maintenance” of the international book “Metrology in Urban Drainage and Stormwater Management: Plug and Pray”. Finally, an interview of the researcher was recently on the cover of The Source, the magazine of the International Water Association, regarding his work on monitoring natured-based stormwater solutions for asset management.
The developed expert system is the proof of concept that stormwater control measures can be monitored with limited resources, in real-time, providing effective solutions for the long-term performance and maintenance of such systems. The fellow has brought the topic of stormwater control measure (or nature-based stormwater solution) asset management in the major international conference and believe to have contribute to the emerging awareness regarding this issue. The scientific impact of the project corresponds to new research leads on nature-based stormwater solutions asset management: mainly monitoring, understanding and, when sufficient data will be available, elaboration of deterioration models, and assessment of the impact of operation and maintenance strategies. These research aims at providing professional services for the global market.
Regarding the societal impact, according to the stakeholders involved in the project, the online access to real-time data is a key strategy to bring awareness and involvement toward inhabitants. This is the first steps to raise citizens and communities’ awareness and involvement in water management, and thus help them to become hydrocitizens. Moreover, enabling the long-term performance of such assets is fully align with the European Green Deal because these nature-based solutions are vital elements of the cities of the future: providing ecosystemic services while contributing both to climate mitigation and adaptation. The research carried out opens up new perspectives in monitoring the deterioration of stormwater control measures and elaborating appropriate strategies to cope with it, leading to cost reduction in a context of strong economical constraints, and improving the water resilience of cities. Overcoming asset management limitations will ensure the long-term viability of the green deal policy and provide a market for green jobs creation.
The Mind4Stormwater project medium-term (5 to 10 years) economic impact is important: not only nature-based solution asset management is a whole new market for water consultants, but indispensable monitoring of assets requires innovative monitoring to develop and commercialise. Increased networking activities toward the operational sector in the last year of the project, targeting cities, utilities, and SMEs, aimed to (i) demonstrate the benefits of low-cost monitoring systems to encourage innovation from the SMEs, and (ii) to support champion cities willing to follow this path, in the definition of the specifications of monitoring systems. Market development requires not only new products, but it also requires customers (cities and utilities). To date, the offer and the demand still do not match because IoT companies which are developing the products have a limited knowledge on water management, and cities haven’t yet really encompassed the potential of such systems. Work will continue after the end of the project in this direction.
Regarding the societal impact, according to the stakeholders involved in the project, the online access to real-time data is a key strategy to bring awareness and involvement toward inhabitants. This is the first steps to raise citizens and communities’ awareness and involvement in water management, and thus help them to become hydrocitizens. Moreover, enabling the long-term performance of such assets is fully align with the European Green Deal because these nature-based solutions are vital elements of the cities of the future: providing ecosystemic services while contributing both to climate mitigation and adaptation. The research carried out opens up new perspectives in monitoring the deterioration of stormwater control measures and elaborating appropriate strategies to cope with it, leading to cost reduction in a context of strong economical constraints, and improving the water resilience of cities. Overcoming asset management limitations will ensure the long-term viability of the green deal policy and provide a market for green jobs creation.
The Mind4Stormwater project medium-term (5 to 10 years) economic impact is important: not only nature-based solution asset management is a whole new market for water consultants, but indispensable monitoring of assets requires innovative monitoring to develop and commercialise. Increased networking activities toward the operational sector in the last year of the project, targeting cities, utilities, and SMEs, aimed to (i) demonstrate the benefits of low-cost monitoring systems to encourage innovation from the SMEs, and (ii) to support champion cities willing to follow this path, in the definition of the specifications of monitoring systems. Market development requires not only new products, but it also requires customers (cities and utilities). To date, the offer and the demand still do not match because IoT companies which are developing the products have a limited knowledge on water management, and cities haven’t yet really encompassed the potential of such systems. Work will continue after the end of the project in this direction.